Trophy cats

An increasing number of cat pageants are held around the country. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Most competitions won't offer cash rewards to winners, but good test scores are big rewards for them, Ge says. And winning cats can command a higher sale price for their kittens, even unborn.

Ge's club holds such contests nationwide almost every month.

Since May, a total of 13 events were staged in cities across China, including in Beijing, Chongqing, Wuhan in Hubei province, Shenyang in Liaoning province and Nanjing in Jiangsu province. Professional foreign judges with international qualifications were invited to name the best cats.

The club also plans to hold a super league next year, when nearly 1,000 cats are expected to participate, Ge says.

Cat competitions have been held in the West since the 1980s. It is only in recent years that foreign cat associations have tried to make inroads here, sensing the potential of the Chinese market. Ge's club, for example, introduced the cat market in China to WCF, and then was approved to operate in the country on behalf of the organization.